Bill kicks off the morning of ROCKNPOD 2025 talking to members of Lost Circus. They recently debuted their new single UNINVITED, which is an Alanis Morissette cover. The video for this single was directed by Calico Cooper.

Don Higgins and his twin brother Ron are music enthusiasts and authors of "The Biggest Big Hair Book of Metal Trivia," a trivia book focused on hard rock and metal music. The book combines multiple-choice trivia questions with stories about their experiences and encounters in the music world, making it accessible even to those unfamiliar with the genre.

We discussed our experiences at the latest Rocknpod, new additions to Dennis' guitar collection, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees for 2025, and our top 5 favorite albums from 1975. We also reminisced about our attendance at the first Rocknpod back in 2017 and Bill showcased a unique piece of KISS artwork made from vinyl records.

Bill talks with Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel. The conversation starts with Brian stating that he still loves working in the music industry, emphasizing passion over it feeling like a job. He says that the music itself hasn't changed much, but mentions how the business has evolved from vinyl to cassettes, CDs, and now streaming. Brian has started a podcast discussing heavy metal history and current trends, featuring notable guests from the metal community. Metal Blade Records continues to thrive with bands playing major venues and maintaining the genre's vitality.

Bill interviews Chris O'Brien from Blackwood, a Nashville band. The discussion begins with an observation about the resurgence of physical media like CDs and vinyl, with vinyl sales recently surpassing CDs. Chris mentions the challenges of producing vinyl due to high costs for small batches. They emphasize the importance of artists pushing quality content and supplementing income through merchandise. Blackwood recently released a new single "One Track Mind" featuring Kameron Jane, marking their first vocal collaboration. Bill proposed the idea for a "Nashville to Nashville" concert event linking Nashville, Tennessee, and Nashville, Indiana.